By Noah Tellez
With the summer season looming in the near future for Cape Codders, the excitement is collecting. However, what most are not talking about is the biggest headache of life on Cape Cod, the traffic. Twenty minute drives from Hyannis to Mashpee turn into easy hours and even driving down your street can turn into a process. With this being said, how can it be avoided?
There has been numerous methods of attempting to avoid the nightmare that has come to be summer driving on Cape Cod. This began with the radio and television stations beginning to direct drivers to more open routes. Although drivers may not always be able to avoid the wait, they are still prepared for the mess. Radios are the most accurate, considering they can develop up to date news on roadways for drivers while on the road. Televisions are much more predictive, giving people updates when they are not behind the wheel. Therefore, radios have been in use for traffic for years with them being in the car with drivers.
With the summer season looming in the near future for Cape Codders, the excitement is collecting. However, what most are not talking about is the biggest headache of life on Cape Cod, the traffic. Twenty minute drives from Hyannis to Mashpee turn into easy hours and even driving down your street can turn into a process. With this being said, how can it be avoided?
There has been numerous methods of attempting to avoid the nightmare that has come to be summer driving on Cape Cod. This began with the radio and television stations beginning to direct drivers to more open routes. Although drivers may not always be able to avoid the wait, they are still prepared for the mess. Radios are the most accurate, considering they can develop up to date news on roadways for drivers while on the road. Televisions are much more predictive, giving people updates when they are not behind the wheel. Therefore, radios have been in use for traffic for years with them being in the car with drivers.
This being said, recent technology has brought numerous apps and phone programs to the driving landscape in hopes of easing travel across the Cape and the country. These apps work by first reporting on traffic in your area and on your course of travel. Others, however, have began showing alternate back routes that help avoid traffic for both residents and visitors. These include an app called Waze, which allows drivers to “outsmart traffic” while also giving them warnings of other things such as accidents, police, etc. These apps have began revolutionizing the world of traffic, but not all are fans.
Some people are beginning to notice that traffic cut-throughs are creating neighborhood issues for residents of the Cape. In fact, just days ago the Cape Cod Times posted an article titled, “Traffic apps lead to neighborhood hassles.” In this article, apps such as Waze and Google Maps are highlighted in creating traffic buildup in communities and generally quiet neighborhoods in Bourne. This has now created headaches for not only tourists but now residents as well, making the headache all the more unbearable.
Whether a new driver facing this issue or a seasoned veteran, this is no simple task. When asked how he deals with the traffic, senior Felipe Batista said, “I pretty much avoid the roads that’s honestly the only way. Walking is usually faster if possible the traffic is terrible.”
Batista has been living on the Cape for most of his life and has been facing summer traffic for years. However, Gunnar Ahearn (also a senior), has never seen it before. Ahearn has been spending his summers with his family in Maine since he was a child, and has never had to bear the traffic. When asked, Ahearn said, “I’m not really sure what to expect. I mean, I’ve seen early season traffic and heard about it from friends but I’ve never had to go through it myself. I just hope I’ll be able to make it around in the summer without throwing a fit.”
Whether a new driver or old, first-time tourist or true Cape Codder, the traffic on Cape Cod is surely a serious issue. With apps and updates through radio and media it is easy to prepare, however very hard to avoid. Traffic is a complication that comes with an eventful Cape Cod summers but a necessary piece at that.